Youth Zone Defense play
Youth Zone: Transition Into the Zone
- Court
- Half court
- Length
- 10 steps
About this play
For ages 12 and up, after the man-to-man series. The possession most youth zones lose is the one where the offense pushes the ball before the zone is built. This play starts with five defenders scattered in transition and shows the order they build the zone in, then runs a full swing and skip against it once it is set: paint first, where X5 sprints to the middle of the lane and the forwards to the blocks before anyone guards the ball; then the guards sprint to the elbows and pick up the ball at the top; then the ordinary slides, wing, corner, back out, skip. Why paint first: a zone's whole advantage is five bodies between the ball and the rim, and in transition it does not have that yet, so the first three players back protect the rim and concede the early outside shot. Why the guards do not chase the ball up the floor: a guard who picks up early is a guard who is not at his elbow when the ball arrives, and the gap he leaves is the drive. Where the advantage lies: once the paint is full, the offense that wanted an early layup is swinging the ball against a set zone, which is the possession the zone wins. Common youth mistakes: the first player back guarding the ball instead of the rim, two players sprinting to the same block, and the guards stopping at half court to watch. I borrowed the paint-first order from Upward Sports' 2-3 zone lessons, and Coach's Clipboard's 2-3 zone page covers the slides once the zone is set; give them a look if you want the rest.
